In our state the kids start taking standards of learning exams in 3rd grade for various subjects. In one sense I suppose SOLs are good – they make sure that a minimum level of learning happens through out the state, but on the other hand I really find them to be a giant waste of time.

The teachers no longer teach kids to think! There is so much pressure on the teachers and the kids to pass every child through the SOLs that all the teachers teach is the test and not much more. Beginning in April, daily instruction time is filled with endless review and all homework tends to come to a halt. Is this really the best thing for our students?

Personally my kids are bored. Bored to tears. They don’t buy into the hype that the school has built up about these exams and neither do I. I don’t spend hours at home making them review more, go online and take practice tests, or hold them from after school activities so they can “rest”. For the past 3 years my son has aced the exams and my daughter aced 1 of the 3 (and scored well above passing on the other) in her first year of taking them last year.

Oh, and once the exams are over the kids still have 2 weeks of school left but they do nothing – after all, the teachers have done their job for the year. It all seems like such a waste to me.

Enough of my rant! What’s your take on standards of learning tests? Vote below or in the sidebar and leave a comment!

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Post from: Blisstree

Standards of Learning Exams